UAFS To Offer New Fields Of Study

This fall semester, the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith will offer a certificate of proficiency in robotics by having several robots available for industry training at the campus.

At a UAFS Board of Visitors meeting Tuesday, Georgia Hale, interim associate provost for Academic Affairs and dean of the College of Applied Science and Technology, updated the board on three new degrees that the school will offer in the fall, along with two new certificates of proficiency that will be available, including robotics training.

Hale said at least 21 companies use some type of robotics at facilities in and around Fort Smith, yet there is nowhere locally for people to train with them.

“We are going to be producing people who are ready to go out and be trainees in this area,” Hale said.

UAFS Chancellor Paul Beran said the university got 13 robots through a combination of secured state funding and robots donated by global company ABB Robotics, which produces many of the industrial robots used in the nation.

“You have to keep in mind, these are not robots like ‘The Jetsons,’” Beran said. “These are robots that do assembly, that have specific moving parts that you’re going to program to do certain complex activities.”

Beran said with an unemployment rate hovering around 7 percent in Fort Smith, UAFS will have an opportunity to become a hub for specialized robotics training.

“The fact of the matter is, if you ask the companies how they’re doing, you’re going to find that their production’s never been stronger with fewer people,” Beran said. “And why is that? Well, it’s because they’re using technology — and robotics being a major piece of that technology — to achieve their tasks.”

Hale said she expects the first robots to arrive in about six weeks. In the meantime, faculty members will receive the necessary training to offer the courses needed to gain the certificate of proficiency.

The other certificate of proficiency UAFS plans to offer will be in professional sales. Hale said the area of study presents the second-highest amount of job opportunities for young people today, and will offer students an interactive learning experience.

The three new degrees offered in the fall will be international business studies, finance and general studies. Hale said a growing number of students at the school want to work in business from a global perspective, and others have expressed a desire to major in finance or double major in accounting and finance.

A general studies degree would create a roadway for students who have accrued several hours of study, and hopefully would keep those students from seeking a degree at another school, Hale said.

“We think this is going to provide a viable option for those students who have tried one degree plan that didn’t work out for them,” Hale said.

Arant went over a number of initiatives the university put in place over the past year, including efforts to increase concurrent enrollment, distance education like online courses and community college offerings, outreach programs for public schools and advancement in educational technology.